LETTER: States must retain control of education

Published: Friday, March 29, 2013 at 3:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Thursday, March 28, 2013 at 10:36 p.m.

Dear Editor: If you care about your children’s education, it’s important that you know about Common Core and ask your legislators to repeal it before it’s too late.

Local control of your children’s education is eroding quickly. Standards are dumbed down; various types of sensitive, non-academic data will soon be collected about your child, and shared with the federal government and special interests without parental knowledge or permission; and if the Alabama legislature doesn’t repeal Common Core in the next two weeks before the legislative session is over, it will be almost impossible to extricate ourselves from this catastrophe. Parents, teachers, local boards of education and legislators will lose control over education policy in Alabama to outside entities.

Common Core is the centerpiece of President Barack Obama’s transformational education reform. In President Obama’s Blueprint for Education Reform, he states this is a plan for a re-envisioned federal role in education. Well, the 10th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution puts the states in control of education. Are we willing to lose that? The Blueprint also states that priority will be given to states that adopt Common Core and use technology to address student learning that include principles of a universal design for learning.

I would implore you to call your legislators and ask them to vote to rescind these common standards. Call the House (334-242-7600) and Senate (334-242-7800) main numbers; the operator will record your vote.

There is a site, www.auee.org, that can provide additional information and videos.

<p>Dear Editor: If you care about your children's education, it's important that you know about Common Core and ask your legislators to repeal it before it's too late. </p><p>Local control of your children's education is eroding quickly. Standards are dumbed down; various types of sensitive, non-academic data will soon be collected about your child, and shared with the federal government and special interests without parental knowledge or permission; and if the Alabama legislature doesn't repeal Common Core in the next two weeks before the legislative session is over, it will be almost impossible to extricate ourselves from this catastrophe. Parents, teachers, local boards of education and legislators will lose control over education policy in Alabama to outside entities.</p><p>Common Core is the centerpiece of President Barack Obama's transformational education reform. In President Obama's Blueprint for Education Reform, he states this is a plan for a re-envisioned federal role in education. Well, the 10th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution puts the states in control of education. Are we willing to lose that? The Blueprint also states that priority will be given to states that adopt Common Core and use technology to address student learning that include principles of a universal design for learning.</p><p>I would implore you to call your legislators and ask them to vote to rescind these common standards. Call the House (334-242-7600) and Senate (334-242-7800) main numbers; the operator will record your vote.</p><p>There is a site, www.auee.org, that can provide additional information and videos.</p>